Category Archives: Country life

Merry Christmas

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I’m trying to think about what to say to wrap up this year. I write often about choosing to live a life of love and joy. That doesn’t mean that life is always easy, and this year represents that for me.

Matt’s Mom’s illness and death is an example of great love. It’s also an example of joy, as odd as that may seem. We put as much joy as possible into our time together, even while she was in the hospital. And now we try to carry on that love and joy by talking about her and including her in what we’re doing. How much she would have enjoyed the castle where we were in Ireland. How Grandma would be the best person to find Christmas pants (a critical wardrobe gap that caused much distress last week).

My teaching job this fall has been a lot of fun–and a lot of work. The feeling when I hook the students and get them arguing, discussing and thinking is awesome. I walk out of my classes energized. But there have been a lot of late nights to pull lessons together, finish marking and communicate with students. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to next term.

As I’m writing this, Ellie is Christmas shopping with my Mom. This sums up love and joy for me–yet it’s not easy. Ellie is an incredibly giving little girl and fills Christmas with so much fun. That my Mom is giving her the experience of Christmas shopping and ensuring that I have some gifts is huge act of love. But it’s hard that Ellie doesn’t get to do this with her Daddy.

At the start of this year, I wrote about how important it is for me to choose. Choose my attitude, how I feel, how I react, how I spend my time. And choose to build my life around what is most important to me.

Life is not always easy, but choosing love and joy helps me to see more good than bad.

For Christmas, I wish you as much love and joy as possible. I will be back in 2024 with more projects, more country living and more love and joy. Merry Christmas.

Odds & sods

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“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

— Desmond Tutu

Like so many people, I am watching what’s happening in Palestine and Israel (and Ukraine, Sudan and other places) right now. Like many people, I don’t know what to say. But I feel I need to say something.

Harming and killing people is wrong. Destroying and taking people’s homes is wrong (this goes for Indigenous peoples too). I believe that supporting groups or people who carry out these acts is wrong. Not speaking out for a ceasefire and working for peace is wrong.

I teach Ellie that people are different. Some people think differently than us, live differently and have different opinions about what’s important. But they deserve care, respect and peace. They deserve a home and they deserve to live.

Within our lives, we can determine our own values and make our own choices. But we are part of the world. As I wrote on Remembrance Day, it is my responsibility—everyone’s responsibility—to care for and protect each other.

Here are some other things in my thoughts these days.

On Canada Project is working to bridge information gaps, challenge divisive rhetoric, and lead important conversations grounded in human rights.

What would you do if you knew when you were going to die?

Grief is full of choices (life is too)

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

— Martin Niemöller

Continuing the property clean up

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When I think back to our early years on the farm, I feel like we were always cleaning up. Of course, there was the house itself and all the stuff that we emptied out of it. But outside was the bigger clean up. There were plants and trees and piles of dirt and rubble and rocks. So, so many rocks.

Here we are 11 1/2 years later, and we’re still cleaning up.

This fall I tackled two areas that have been untouched since we moved in.

Beside the barn there was a mysterious mound. I figured it was rocks, but it was so covered in weeds I couldn’t tell. And hacking through well-established weed roots is not a fun job. So last year I tarped it. I love using tarps to clean up weedy sections. This fall I finally pulled the tarp off. The dead weeds easily raked off the mound, and I was able to dig in. The mound turned out to be mostly dirt, with just a few rocks. So I spread the top soil around to fill in some low spots and added the rocks to our rock pile.

The tarp had been weighted with old tires (since we have such a stash). I decided rather than finding somewhere to stack the tires, I was finally going to deal with them (and some others that have been hanging around too long). So I loaded 6 into my car (all I could fit) and took them to the recycling station. I have about 12 more to go, but it feels good to be getting rid of them finally.

I relocated the tarp to another mound near the old coop. I was able to mow some of this section and trim down a stump that Matt’s Dad had cut for me before we demoed the coop. The mound looks like mostly concrete rubble, but again it is overgrown and hard to hack through. So the tarp is going to work again, and hopefully next spring we can level this out and mow through.

(This time the tarp is weighted with lumber from the old coop that I’m going to try to reuse. The lumber had been stacked behind the barn and was well-tangled in grass, so picking it up was another clean-up. Though this time the mess was my own.)

The final clean up goes to our farmer. I’ve continued to pick away at our last junk area every so often this year. We’ve made a lot of progress and tidied things up considerably. But one of the things I uncovered was an old wire fence overgrown with vines. The fence posts were still firmly in the ground. So our farmer came by with his bigger machine and pulled the posts out for us. Now I have another clear section that I can mow through.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe how much we still have to do. How can we have been here 11 years and still be cleaning up? I know some of it is the reality of a farm where things get dumped, piled and stashed. It is also the reality of time, energy and attention. I also know everything we do is a step forward. I have six less tires, one less mound and one less fence to deal with.

Are you doing any clean-up at your house? Do you have an piles on your property? Have you ever used tarps to kill weeds? What is your never-ending project?

Thankful

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As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I am thankful for many things. But the thing I am most thankful for is time.

Time to be here. To be with Ellie. To experience so many things.

Time is precious. When this day is done, it is gone. Forever. Not every day is about making memories. Sometimes it’s just about getting through. But every day I try to be thankful that I am here and able to do the things I do.

I am thankful that I have been able to choose, for the most part, how I spend my time. I have opted out of a more traditional job to find work that serves me. This choice has given me time for Ellie, which is occasionally challenging, but mostly amazing. It has meant time for the farm, which is occasionally challenging, but mostly amazing.

It has meant fitting work into my schedule when I can (mostly at night). It has meant less money, but we are fortunate that it has been enough money.

That concept of enough is important to me. Of course I would like more money. I want to give Ellie lots of opportunities and I have a long list of renovations and plans. But we have enough money to live our lives with a pretty high level of freedom. Freedom to spend our time as we want.

There is never enough money. There is never enough time.

But I try to see money as enough, and time as more valuable than anything. An extra cuddle on the couch in the morning rather than running to make breakfast and get out the door, playtime during the day and work at night, an afternoon at a playground instead of rushing to the next thing we have to do. These simple things have become so precious to me, and I try not to take them for granted.

So today, I am saying thank you. Thank you for this day. I am thankful I am here.

Fall to-do list

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I’m feeling slightly whelmed right now. Between work, fall at the farm and the rest of my life, I have a lot to do. Fall always comes with a long to-do list… and a looming deadline of the weather. This year the pressure feels a bit more intense.

I am going back to my word of the year, and I am choosing what I focus on (another word of the year for you) right now. That means I have not cleaned the bathroom, but I am afloat with work and gearing up on some other projects and deadlines. (And my cousin is coming this afternoon to help mow the grass.)

I always work best when I break tasks down and give myself a deadline. So I’m putting my most critical fall tasks here for the record. If I can accomplish these three things before the end of the year, I will be happy.

Close out the vegetable garden

The garden did pretty well this year. But spending some time to put it to bed properly will help it do even better next year. Tops on the list are pruning the raspberries, weeding the asparagus, and tidying up our growing beds. If I can get a couple more growing beds set up that would be icing.

Close up the barn wall

The side of the barn where the old coop was is still a large hole covered with paper house wrap. I want to build a new coop inside this corner of the barn. But first I have to build a new exterior wall. I don’t want to spend another winter with the barn open, so this is a high priority task.

Clean out the barn

Matt has a lot of stuff stored in the barn. I started clearing out one section last year, and I’d really like to finish it. This is a big task that would bring me a lot of peace to complete.

There are a bunch of other small things–turning off the water, taking off the window screens, bringing some plants inside, putting away patio furniture–but those will squeeze in where they can. These bigger projects will take a bit more effort (and likely some help), but hopefully I can accomplish them by winter.

How are you doing right now? Anyone else feeling whelmed? What’s on your to-do list? Is fall a busy season for you?

Odds & sods

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September has been full, but good. School is going well for both Ellie and me. I’ve discovered I enjoy teaching. When I hook the students and see them light up is such a great moment.

We started the month with one last campout and ended with putting out the bird feeders. The leaves are changing, the nights are cooler, but there is still lots of sunshine and warmth. We’re soaking it up as much as we can.

Here are other things we were up to this month.

This video has me thinking how I can repurpose more materials when I build the chicken coop. Anyone have any old screen doors?

Would you choose this toilet for your home? (If you had $12,000 to spend on a toilet.)

Matt’s Dad grew great cherry tomatoes several years ago. I saved the seeds and grew delicious tomatoes this year. So I’m saving seeds again.

We made our tried and true brownies twice this month

Ellie is learning to read, and it’s coming so quickly. This joke book and this series have been laugh-out-loud hits.

“Death has its usefulness to the living… It creates an urgency within you. To do all that you can. To make things right. I wonder what that must feel like, to have a sense of true motivation.”

In The Lives Of Puppets by TJ Klune

We’ll be ending the month with another full week. But amongst work, school, errands and appointments we’re making time for fun. We’ll be meeting up with my friends for dinner at a local riverside hotdog stand. Friends, food and a great venue is always a special time.

How has September been for you? What have you been reading, baking or watching? Is anyone else saving seeds or moving plants indoors? Anyone else squeezing in al fresco meals or even campouts?

Beginnings and endings

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Walking in the hayfield

September has made its not entirely welcome arrival. I savour summer. The warmth, the freedom from our schedules, the togetherness for Ellie and me and the rest of our family. Time matters less, and I treasure it.

Last year I chose to “do” summer. I made that choice again this year, and we succeeded. It’s hard to let go of that.

September means routine, school, separation.

In some ways, September is a beginning. Ellie is starting senior kindergarten and for the first time we’ll be apart more days than we’re together. I’m also starting a new job as a college instructor. I’m excited and grateful for this opportunity, and I love watching Ellie grow and become more of her own person. I know we will both adjust and enjoy, but it’s hard to take that first step down a new path.

Over the summer, my university asked alumni to write welcome notes, sharing advice for first year students. As I was thinking about this fall and the changes to come, I realized that some of what I wrote to those young students applied to me as well. I’ve adjusted it slightly to share it here with you.

While you may have your path in mind, life is meant to be explored. Take advantage of those opportunities that come your way–and navigate the bumps as well. They may help you along your route, or they may open you up to a new direction. I hope that you will find the paths that fit you.

Through your life, you will walk many roads. I have changed jobs, switched fields, tried new things, and followed new paths. And that’s okay. The foundation of who I am, the skills I have and what is most important to me stays with me.

Be open to possibilities, today and for the rest of your life. Choose the path that is right for you, right now. Don’t be afraid to change direction. Keep moving.

I wish you all the best this fall, whatever path you are walking.

Odds & sods

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The new well garden has attracted a snake. Ellie has adopted it as a pet, and the snake seems to be just fine with that. He appreciated the picture that she drew for him and occasionally lets her pet him. I love seeing her comfort and gentleness with animals of all kinds.

Summer is a time of animals, plants, the outdoors and family, and we’ve been doing all of it. This summer has also had some hard times, some of which I will write about later. I try to meet the lows with love, and savour the moments of joy that we have.

We had a cottage week with my family, which is always the highlight of our year. Growing up, my siblings and I were at our grandparents cottage every weekend. We swam, waterskied and played with a big group of cousins. Now, we give our children that experience, though only for one week of the year. Watching them learn to ski and swim, seeing how they help and encourage each other, and being together as a family is so special. Giving each other our time, presence and love is very important. The most important thing I can do.

On a lighter note, here are some less important things that I enjoyed this month.

This real life Hobbit House is beautiful.

I still look at our grain silo and think of the possibilities.

How is this math right? I feel old.

This book has changed the way I think about the rest of my life… and my breakfast.

Kid’s book of the month: Greek Myths & Mazes. A cool way to introduce Greek myths. Ellie has loved the mazes and the stories.

I made myself a cup of plantain tea on a particularly bad air quality day after watching this video.

I know everyone says it, but it’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through summer. As I’m looking ahead to August, I feel like time is going to fly even faster. I’m hanging onto as much as I can and making sure Ellie and I continue to work through our summer bucket list.

How’s summer going for you? Have you had any getaways? Do you have any wildlife (or weird “pets”) hanging around your house?

Odds & sods

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Summer has officially begun. We marked the solstice with a bonfire and our first campout, which felt like a great way to celebrate–although I have to admit the reality of sleeping on an air mattress is not so great.

Ellie is done school and, like last year, I’ve made the decision to “do summer.”

There’s been a bit of an adjustment to being around each other all the time. But we’ve had picnics, playgrounds, and water fights. Met up with friends, visited a local festival, worked in the gardens, picked strawberries, had family parties, watched hay baling and kept an eye on the patio construction. There have been late nights and sleeping in.

We’re off to a great start (air mattresses aside), and I’m looking forward to soaking up the season.

Here are some other things I’ve been up to this month.

I reread one of my favourite books of all time. It’s still wonderful.

Donating to a land trust, with a twist

“The last demographic that progressive people still mock with impunity.”

I bought a basic soaker hose at the dollar store last year, and it’s been great in our garden. I also have these quick connectors for changing fittings quickly.

Are your most important relationships getting your leftovers?

In case you were wondering, strawberry icing on chocolate cupcakes is a good idea.

This week, we’re finishing off June with wrapping up our patio. I am not so patiently waiting to set up the furniture. The reveal will be coming soon.

How has the start of summer been for you? Are you going camping this summer? Who else is a strawberry fan? What’s your favourite way to eat them? Anyone else feel too old to sleep on an air mattress?

Odds & sods

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I’m looking back over May thinking what a full month.

We had a getaway with Matt’s family and celebrations for Mother’s Day, Matt’s Dad’s birthday, and several of Ellie’s friends. There was a quick work trip plus getting set up for a new contract I’m starting this fall.

We toured a local regenerative farm, and came home to our first cut of hay for the year. I sold Ellie’s little play set and received a load of mulch to go around her treehouse—all preludes to building her new swing set. We hauled home some rolls of fencing from the end of someone’s driveway, so that’s a prelude to the coop. We had our first asparagus harvest, our vegetable seedlings are growing so well, and I’m crossing my fingers that the garden is somewhat manageable this year.

There’s goodness and work and challenges and fun. I know I say it often, but we truly try to fill our lives with as much joy and love as possible. As May comes to an end, I feel like we’re doing that well.

Here are some timely links

Ticks have been bad for us this year. Cigo has been their main target. Here is an article I wrote about protecting your dog and yourself from ticks.

My favourite source for rhubarb recipes (and most recipes)

Required reading. This book shows how racism becomes so embedded in a culture.

I first used Oxiclean when I washed Ellie’s diapers. This month I used it to whiten a pair of pillowcases. It’s still magical. (The generic brand has always worked fine for me.)

My first weeding venture through the vegetable garden left me with a sore back–then a sore hip. These stretches helped.

I owe you an update on Ellie’s new room. Here’s a beautiful, thoughtful, fun room in the meantime.

We’re ending the month by starting a big project. Our patio kicks off today. I am so excited to see this space come together. I will be back next week with an update.

How was May for you? Do you have any exciting projects underway?